National Truck Driver Appreciation Week – RoadKing Magazinehttp://www.roadking.com Lifestyle, Health & Trucking News for Over-the-Road TruckersTue, 01 Nov 2016 13:00:56 +0000en-UShourly1Yes, I get by with a little help from trucking friendshttp://www.roadking.com/news/yes-i-get-by-with-a-little-help-from-trucking-friends/ http://www.roadking.com/news/yes-i-get-by-with-a-little-help-from-trucking-friends/#respondTue, 01 Sep 2015 14:39:43 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=10780I think it’s wonderful that there’s an annual National Truck Driver Appreciation Week — a time in which America and the trucking industry salute and recognize truck drivers for the difficult job they do so well, day in and day out. Truckers are professionals who take pride in the job they do, understand the importance […]

]]>I think it’s wonderful that there’s an annual National Truck Driver Appreciation Week — a time in which America and the trucking industry salute and recognize truck drivers for the difficult job they do so well, day in and day out. Truckers are professionals who take pride in the job they do, understand the importance of their duties and responsibilities and continuously perform with safety front of mind. Moreover, they accomplish all this while managing to balance the wide variety of demands and obligations of family life.

This year marks the 20th year for National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. However, I do not need a special week to show appreciation to other truckers. All year long, I show my gratitude to my fellow drivers. I also show my appreciation to vehicle technicians, yard jockeys, truckstop employees, dock workers, operations and safety people — and even to dispatchers. All these individuals are integral to truckers performing their jobs and to making sure America’s trucking industry rolls along smoothly.

Who doesn’t want to be appreciated? We all enjoy being recognized for our efforts and contributions. It feels great when you receive a sincere thank you or a compliment. It lifts our spirit and purpose.

Showing appreciation isn’t difficult to do. It is simply a matter of communicating to another person that you appreciate something they’ve done for you. This can be as simple as saying “thank you.”

There are times when I take it up a notch and present a thank you “gift” (hats, pens, keychains, pocket notebooks and other goodies that I accumulate at trucking industry events) to those who have gone out of their way to be helpful.

But sometimes I don’t get a chance to thank someone for their kindness or good deed. To make amends for this, I want to thank those nameless truckers who have been kind enough to lend me a hand in the past year.

Thank you to the truckers who, during rush hour in city traffic, stopped to let me get out onto the street after making a delivery in a shopping center.

Thank you to the trucker who assisted me with sliding my stuck trailer tandems.

Thank you to the yard jockey who helped me with a trailer that had been dropped too low to get under.

Thank you to the trucker who demonstrated how to do a parked regen for the DPF. (I was in an unfamiliar tractor.)

Thank you to the trucker who overheard me asking for directions to a hard-to-get-to stop in the boondocks and provided me with the best way to get there.

Thank you to the truckers who, as I tried to pass them, realized my “horse” just didn’t have enough get-up to do so and slowed down a little to let me get by. Thank you to the trucker at the rail yard, who helped me get the container to properly lock onto the chassis.

And thank you to all the others who have helped me out over my many years in trucking.